How to save a life
by Aky-san
Summary: Two kids left alone on the streets, without anyone caring for them. They decided on spending the rest of their lives together, but when Natsu meets someone else, will Lucy be able to win him back? Or will their social status get in the way?- NaLu
1. Chapter 1: Two kids

**How to save a life**

~ 1 ~

_I still remember that cold rainy day, when I met you.  
>I never thought I was destined to talk to you, but as time goes on, I'm sure I was.<br>I still remember how I was the happiest girl.  
>I still remember how you loved the scarf i gave you.<br>I still remember all the good memories, but I want to forget the bad ones.  
>Turns out, nobody's perfect. So, neither are you.<em>

* * *

><p>Lucy Heartfilia—The girl with the broken smile.<p>

A 5 year old girl, left wandering in the streets of an unfamiliar town. "_I'll be back._" Her father had said. Where was he? How long has it been? She was left alone.

Walking around the cobblestone streets of Magnolia, the blonde had lost all her hope of finding her father. He never liked her, and she knew that. No matter how much the girl had tried to gain her father's warmth and love, she was never successful. And whenever she tried to talk to him, trouble ensued. "_Shut up! I told you not to bother me when I'm working!_" He would say, and she would leave the room, only to go cry on her bed, and cuddle her doll.

Oh how she missed her mother... The beautiful blonde woman was the only person who could talk to her father without being yelled at. But, she had died when Lucy was only four years old. Layla Heartfilia had died in a horrible car crash outside of town. The plush doll that Lucy named "Michelle" was the only memory she had of her mother. Since she was so young, she didn't remember her mother that much. But, she remembered the day when she got the doll from her mom. It was a happy day. Something she hadn't experienced in a year now.

He father was always a cold, dark person, but his personality worsened after his wife had died. He became... merciless. He never forgave anyone, no matter the weight of the mistake they had made. Lucy knew that all too well.

She was always trying to cheer up her father, and laugh with him. She wanted to experience going fishing with him, hearing him tell her a bedtime story, playing hide and seek with her, or maybe even cook together, and then laugh when they would burn the cookies they wanted to make.

She wanted happiness, love.

But, being left alone on the streets was not something she had ever expected. He would never do a thing like that to his own little child. Of course, he never liked her, or respected her, but that never meant that he would do something like this. No, this was something the little girl never thought could happen to her. What could the little girl do? The only thing she had with herself, was her doll, and a little bag her aunt had bought her when she was four. She was wearing a short blue dress, and a scaly white scarf. The scarf had also been a gift from her mother. Lucy almost never wore it, because she thought she would get it dirty. She wandered the streets of this town, trying to find a place to sit down, and rest. She walked into a dark alleyway, and sat down on a cardboard box she found.

Opening the small red bag, she rummaged through it, only to find three things: a box of half-eaten cookies, an apple and some coins. Lucy's eyes watered for the hundredth time that day, as she was in a hopeless situation once more. Where will she sleep? It was getting dark, and it wasn't safe for kids to stay out anymore.

She let out soft whimpers, as she was desperately trying to look on the positive side. But... there was no positive side. The blonde was shifting around in the space, trying to turn the cardboard box around, so she could sleep in it. Once the box was placed to her liking, she climbed in, and crawled up in a ball, to keep herself warm. Hugging her legs with her small arms, she tried to stop crying.

Then, she heard the pitter patter of someone's footsteps hitting the cobblestone pathway in the alley. She quieted down, not wanting the person to find her. This wasn't helping her at all. The girl was trying to blend in, and yet, someone chose to walk into the same alley. The sound of the person's footsteps got louder, bouncing off the walls of the surrounding buildings, as he or she was getting closer to the girl. Lucy's eyes stayed shut tight, as if to block the person from touching her. She was desperately trying to stay out of sight, but the box was sitting in the middle of the alleyway, highly visible.

She opened her eyes, to see a pair of small hands reach in the box and touch her leg. She shrieked, as she sprang up from her lying position, only to jump out of the box. She stopped yelling when she saw that the person in front of her was close to her age. He was a pink-haired boy, wearing a red t-shirt, and orange shorts. What really stood out, was that he didn't have any shoes on, and had a bruise on his left cheek. The boy looked just as surprised as she was. They stood there, just looking at one another for a couple of minutes, before he broke the silence.

"Hello, sorry for scaring you." He apologized, looking down at his bare feet. "It's okay. Hi, I'm Lucy." She said, whipping her tears, as she stepped back in the box. "What are you doing here, Lucy?" He asked, as she cuddled up in a ball again, looking at him. "My daddy left. I don't have anywhere else to go." The tears she had in her eyes were threatening to spill any second now, as the boy thought of what to say.

"Are you going to sleep in this box?" He asked her, as she slowly nodded her little head. "Can I sleep here, too?" She looked up. "Sleep here? Why don't you go home?" Lucy asked, as he climbed inside. "My dad always hits me, and I wanted to run away." His hand reached for his bruised cheek.

"What's your name?" She asked. "I'm Natsu Dragneel." He replied, as he stuffed himself in the small space, the girl cuddling up to him. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia." She said her surname, as the pink-haired boy shook his head. "Since your dad left you, you aren't Lucy Heartfilia anymore. You need a new surname. Want to be Lucy Dragneel?"

Her lips curved into a smile, as she found truth in his words. "Yes."

"That's good. You're Lucy Dragneel, now." Natsu said, as he hugged the blonde to keep her warm. "Want to be friends Lucy?" He asked her, as they both stared at the night sky's shining stars. "Yes, Natsu, let's be friends."

* * *

><p><strong>This was just a short first chapter of how they met, <span>next chapters will be longer. <span>**

**And yes, I know I have 2 other unfinished stories, but I had this idea, and wanted to make it. :) **

**Thanks for reading. **

**~With keys, through flames. Aye!~**


	2. Chapter 2: Finding a place to stay

**Finding a place to stay**

**~2~**

_Even when you didn't even have the will to care for yourself, you cared for me.  
>Even when you didn't want to go on, you did, for me.<br>Even when it seemed like all hope is lost,  
>you'd find a way to get us out of the mess, you'd do something,<br>For me.  
>I really miss that now.<em>

* * *

><p>Walking side by side, Lucy and Natsu made their way through the mass of people. They were walking out in the streets of Magnolia, trying to find a place where to make a little home, so that they don't have to sleep in the box, like they did yesterday. Natsu was holding her hand protectively. As they walked around town, he pulled her to someplace called "South Gate Park". They made their way to a big tree, which stood in the middle of the park.<p>

Sitting down on the grass, the tree supporting their backs, Lucy and Natsu decided to take a little break. Lucy fiddled with her doll, as she wrapped the scarf even tighter on her neck. She looked at her new friend, noticing that his bruise was now a lot better. But, she noticed that he had a scar on his neck.

"How did you get that?" She asked, pointing to the cut on his neck.

"Dad." Natsu replied.

Lucy felt bad for asking him. She suddenly stood up, and placed her bag and doll down. "I'll help you forget about it." She said, as Natsu looked at her in curiosity. "Here." Lucy wrapped her white scaly scarf around his neck, as the boy touched it, carefully. "It was momma's. She gave it to me the day she died." Lucy said, her voice breaking.

Natsu fingered the object, before surprising Lucy with a hug. She wrapped her tiny, pale arms over his body. His thoughts were occupied by the tragic story of his own parents, and he couldn't take thinking about it. For a moment, Lucy thought she was just hearing things, but then, she noticed that Natsu was indeed, _crying. _She was surprised for a moment. He was crying? But, why? Oh, she remembered that he never said anything about his mother. Maybe he didn't have one, just like she didn't.

Suddenly, images of her own mother started flooding the poor girl's mind. He mother's gowns, her mother's pretty blonde hair, that Lucy had the luck to have as well. Lucy's eyes watered, remembering that she would never be able to see her mother smile, laugh, or cry ever again. She squeezed Natsu tightly, as she let her own tears fall to the ground, hopelessness taking over her.

* * *

><p>"I'm hungry." Natsu said, as it was now already noon. They have been searching some more, only to return at the same place, under the cover of the sola tree's shade. Lucy's eyes lit up, as she took her bag, and unzipped it. Then she pulled out the apple, Natsu's eyes widening. "Where did you get that?" He asked her, practically eye-raping the fruit. "I had it in my bag."<p>

"C-Can I have a little?" He asked. "Sure. Momma always said that I should share." She smiled. He took the apple, and tried breaking it. But instead, he divided it into two pieces. One of them was a lot bigger than the other one. He sat there dumbfounded, not knowing which piece to eat. "You can take the bigger half." Lucy smiled, as she took the smaller one from his hand.

"No, it's your apple." He said. "But I'm not that hungry." Lucy lied, as he eyed his bigger piece. "Thank you." He said, as he bit into the piece. Lucy started eating her share too. She was done a lot quicker than him, because of the size variation.

Natsu felt something stuck in his throat. He thought it was a piece from the apple, so he tried swallowing harder this time, he sis that a few times, but it turns out, he was just feeling bad. He didn't want his friend to eat so little. He bit another piece from the apple, and another, and another... Once he ate almost all of it, he stopped. The lump stuck in his throat wasn't gone. He thought he could wash it down if he ate some more. And then, he couldn't take it anymore, so he gave what remained to Lucy, who smiled. "I can't eat anymore." He lied, as the blonde giggled, "I said its okay. I have some cookies if I get hungry again."

"Cookies?" His ears perked up, "I want some! Give me some cookies!"

"No, Natsu. We need to save them for later. We don't have anything else to eat." She advised, her hands tightening around the bag. "Okay." He said, "But you eat this." And he pushed the remaining piece of the apple in her mouth, the blonde falling over, and both of them laughing.

* * *

><p>They spent the remaining hours of the day just walking around the streets, and asking strangers for help. But, no one seemed to care about the two lost children. People were too busy straightening their ties, and running to catch the bus to go to work. So, before they even knew it, it was night time again, as they returned to the tree. Lucy was getting tired, so Natsu decided it was time for bed. They huddled together, as Natsu wrapped the scarf she gave him over the both of them. They stayed like that for a little while, before Lucy spoke.<p>

"Hey Natsu, don't you think that your dad might find you?" She asked him, as he was surprised by the sudden question. "He lives in another town. I came here by myself. Plus, I don't think he's looking for me." Natsu said, as he hugged the blonde protectively. They had met only a day ago, but they both felt like they've known each other for ages.

"Natsu..." She spoke again, "If I ever ran away, would you look for me?" His eyes widened, fearing to lose the only friend he has.

"Yes." He said right away, "But don't run away."

"Don't worry, I won't." She reassured him. And that was the last thing she said, before they both fell asleep.

* * *

><p>It was a wonderful morning. The streets were lively, with people walking around them happily. The park was filled with children playing, old ladies sitting on a bench and feeding pigeons, mothers and fathers buying ice cream for their kids. Lucy, not being able to sleep from the commotion, opened her eyes, ready to face the new day. She looked to her left, only to notice Natsu gone.<p>

Panic rose in her, as she stood up, and looked around for the little pink-haired boy. She ran around the park, only to notice him sitting next to a small river at the edge of the park. She slowly walked up to him, not wanting to disturb whatever he was doing. As she stepped closer, she noticed that he was staring at the river, tears streaming down his face, as he hugged the scarf she gave him. He couldn't sleep as well. Being away from home for such a long period of time was not something to be proud of, and it certainly wasn't easy, especially for such a small boy. His worried got the better of him, as he couldn't stop thinking of his own family, back home.

She stood behind him, listening to his soft cries, as he trembled before her. He looked down upon the scarf, bringing it even closer to his weak little body. "I'll keep it forever Lucy." He suddenly cried out, surprising the blonde. She felt her lower lip tremble, as she dropped down to her knees, and hugged him from behind. Her arms encircled his neck, as she started crying, remembering that she said the same thing to her mother when she got the scarf.

* * *

><p>Lucy and Natsu were still sitting before the river, side by side, watching the fish swim freely in the wavy waters. Lucy's eyes fell on the sparkling surface of the water, where the sunrays met the liquid, making the river look like it was shining. "I wish I was a fish." She said, Natsu now looking her way. "I wouldn't need to worry about a home." Her voice trailed off, Natsu staring at the wavy water. They didn't have anywhere to go, and suddenly, being a fish didn't seem like a very bad idea to him.<p>

They suddenly heard someone approaching them, as they both turned around to come face-to-face with an old lady. The woman looked like she had more than 60 years, and she had a kind smile on her face. Her clothes were old and worn out, but she looked happy. Her silver hair was pulled back in a bun, and her shoes looked like they were bought years ago. "Hello, children." She greeted, Natsu clutching Lucy's hand, in case the lady tries something.

"Now, now," The lady said, noticing Natsu and Lucy tense up, "I just wanted to ask what two little children were doing out here alone."

Natsu and Lucy exchanged glances, not knowing what to say. "We don't have anywhere else to go, ma'am." Lucy finally said, the lady's smile fading. She had had a long lifetime behind her, and she'd seen kids wandering the streets before. It was nothing new to her.

"Oh? I see. Has no one offered you a place to stay?" She asked them, as they shook her heads. "No? Well, why don't you come with me? I can't take care of you, I'm way too old, and I barely have money for myself, but there's an orphanage near here."

"Orapage?" Natsu asked, confused. "_Orphanage._" The lady corrected. "It's a place for kids who have nowhere to go. You can go there. They'll give you a place to stay, food and let you sleep for free." She explained, Natsu and Lucy exchanging looks once more. A place that lets you sleep there, _and _gives you food for absolutely nothing in return? Wow! That's just like living at home! "Can you please take us there, ma'am?" Lucy asked politely, her heart pounding loud in her chest. She could have a home again? And she'd get to live there with her new friend! There was nothing better than that!

"Yes. Just go down this street," She said, pointing to the street that connected them with the park, "Then turn left, and the orphanage is at the end of the path." The old lady finished, as Natsu got up with determination, pulling Lucy up with him. "Yosh! Thank you." He smiled, as they started walking to where the lady instructed. "Wait, Natsu!" Lucy stopped him, as she ran up to the old lady. She rummaged through her bag, and pulled out the coins she had.

"Thank you ma'am. Take these." Lucy said, placing the coins in the lady's wrinkled hand. "Oh no dear, I can't accept this!" She defended herself. "No. I insist. You said the orphanage was free to stay, and that you barely have money for yourself. So take my coins, please!" Lucy begged, as the lady gave in. "Okay, thank you." She said, as she waved Lucy and Natsu off.

Once they were gone, the lady looked at her hand and smiled. Lucy had given her just 12 jewels, all in all. That wasn't even enough for a candy bar. But still, she was happy. Lucy didn't understand money, and thought what she had was enough for the lady, but it wasn't nearly what she needed.

But the old woman was the happiest in the world. After all… it's the thought that counts…

* * *

><p><strong>I got some reviews, so uhm, thanks a lot ;)) <strong>

**And by the way, please review again you guys :3 **

**~With Keys, through Flames! Aye!~**


	3. Chapter 3: Time goes by

**Time goes by **

~3~

_Things change, I know that.  
>I felt that the time you stopped caring.<br>I felt that the time you found another girl to have fun with.  
>I felt that, when I almost fell for someone else,<br>But my heart won't love anyone but you...  
>...is it a gift... or a curse?<em>

* * *

><p>It's been a year since Natsu and Lucy met and came to the orphanage. They had asked for a room where they can be together. Even though the women who worked there told them that the rooms were separated for the boys and girls, Natsu refused to let Lucy be in the room with someone else, even if he had known her for two days, back then.<p>

Now, they shared a room, and lived an okay life. Things could've been a lot better for the both of them, but they didn't complain. Now, Lucy was 6, and Natsu 7. They had met other kids in the orphanage also. Like a little boy with dark, raven hair, who always fought with Natsu over the simplest of things. His name was Gray. There was also a girl with red hair, who always managed to keep the balance. Her name was Erza, and she became Lucy's friend. There was also a brown haired girl called Cana, but she had been adopted by a man called Gildarts. But even so, Cana often came back to the orphanage to visit her friends. There were also some other kids called Max, Gajeel, Levy, Droy, Jet…

Lucy and Natsu were the most friendly ones, always looking on the positive side, trying to forget about their past, and look forward to the future.

"Luce!" Natsu called the blonde from upstairs. She was still downstairs in the living room area, drawing with Erza. "Coming!" She yelled, dropping the blue crayon to see why the pink-haired boy had called her. "Wait…" She stopped in her tracks, just before reaching the stairs, "What did you call me?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Natsu beamed, "I was thinking about giving you a nickname yesterday, and I thought of one! Luce! Do you like it!?" He asked, raising his hands triumphantly. She giggled, "Yes! Do you want a nickname, too?" Lucy asked him. "No. I like it when you call me Natsu." He smirked, as Lucy laughed once more.

She got her first nickname. And she loved it.

* * *

><p>"What's the rush Erza?" Gray asked the 7 year old red head, as she practically dragged him outside of the living room area. She pulled him in her room, and slammed the door shut. Erza used to share her room with Cana, but since she was adopted, Erza had the room all to herself, and it looked like she had been busy. Gray looked around the room, to see it filled with streamers and balloons. It was colorful and over decorated, so he didn't know what to think. "Uh… what's this about?" He asked her, the scarlet haired girl locking the door.<p>

"Today's the day Natsu and Lucy met!" Erza whispered quite loudly, and Gray rose a brow. "So?" He asked, not seeing the big deal in this whole fiasco.

"So, Lucy told me yesterday that she was so happy it's been a whole year, and that she wanted to celebrate it somehow, but Natsu didn't seem to remember. So, I decided to take matter into my own hands and I used all of my savings to buy them these party decorations!" She declared, as Gray's eyes practically dropped to the floor.

"You used all your savings!?" He repeated, in disbelief. She just nodded, enthusiastically. "Wow… you're really something." He shook his head. "I don't regret it. Besides, it feels good." She said. "So, why'd ya bring me here?" He finally asked.

"Well, I thought that you could maybe help me. You could keep them occupied, while me and Levy decorate the living room area." She said, as Gray's eyebrow rose, "What's in it for me?" He asked.

She shook her head in disappointment, "Why can't you just do this for free?"

"No way. There must be a prize." He said. "Fine then, I _won't _kick your ass." She hissed. "Nope. I want something cool."

She thought for a moment, before running over to her desk, and took out a piece of paper and a pen. She scribbled down something, then gave the paper to Gray, who scanned it. It said:

_I, Erza Scarlet, promise to do whatever Gray asks for one day. _

"What's this?" He asked. "It's a coupon. It says that I'll do whatever you want for a day, and you can use it whenever you want to." She replied.

"You had my curiosity, now you have my attention." Gray quoted, as they burst in laughter. "Fine. But, I'm keeping this." He declared, before Erza unlocked the door, and he vanished from her sight. He tucked the coupon in his pocket. He was going to use it someday.

* * *

><p>"Fight me, pea brain!" 7 year old Gray roared, kicking Natsu and Lucy's door open.<p>

"My pleasure, freak!" Natsu yelled, as Lucy sweatdropped. This always happened. Gray and Natsu would start a fight, and she had to go call Erza. Just as she made it to the door, Gray yelled, "Don't go out!"

"Huh?" little Lucy turned around, staring at the (somehow) shirtless boy, who stopped fighting just to slam his back on the door, and wave with his hands. "Don't go! Erza's busy with uh… she's uh… she's in the bathroom!" Gray yelled, coming up with the idea on the spot. The little blonde just rolled her eyes, "Okay. I'll wait for her outside the bathroom." She said, reaching for the door knob. "No!" Gray yelled once again, "First uh… watch me beat up Natsu!"

"As if!" Natsu yelled, as Gray tackled him to the ground, both males letting out battle cries as they punched each other. Lucy laughed at their funny behavior, as Gray was relieved that she didn't leave the room.

* * *

><p>After twenty minutes of fighting, Gray had decided that it was probably enough time, so he left the room, descending down the stairway that lead to the living room area. He entered, amazed. The room looked dazzling, as everyone was there. Once Gray entered, they all yelled 'surprise!', but were disappointed to find out it was just him. He rolled his eyes, inspecting the place. Erza and Levy had outdone themselves. The streamers hung loosely on the windows, there was a banner saying 'Happy Anniversary!', the balloons were all here, and everyone had party hats.<p>

But still, he felt sorry for the red head, thinking about how much money she had spent for all of this. He knew she had helped around the orphanage in order to make some money. She even made him do it once, but he just ended up backing out on half of the job, and got less jewels than her. And that's when it hit him… he still had those jewels! He took off to his room, grabbed the little baggy hidden under his mattress, and ran out of the orphanage.

Lucy thought she heard someone yell 'surprise', but she guessed it was just her imagination. "Did you hear that?" Natsu suddenly asked, catching the blonde's attention. Little Lucy nodded, remembering that Natsu had abnormal hearing, so he must've heard something real. They both ran downstairs, and opened the living room door.

"SURPRISE!"

Everyone was there. Erza, Levy, Jet, Droy, Gajeel, Max… even Cana had come! Natsu looked confused, while Lucy beamed. "Happy anniversary Natsu!" She yelled, wrapping her tiny arms around the boy's body. "Anniversary?" He asked, looking at Lucy. "Yes!" She yelled, "This is the day we met!" His cheeks coated in red, as he stared at his best friend. "Oh… it is? Sorry, I forgot." He was being honest. "It's okay!" She laughed, but he still felt bad.

"I… didn't get you a present…" He said, remembering how Erza had bought Cana a present when it was her anniversary of coming to the orphanage.

"It's fine. I didn't either. We don't actually have money to buy something." Little Lucy said, looking down at her shoes.

"Hey!" Natsu suddenly yelled, "I've got it! The nickname I made up for you can be your present!" He said, as she laughed. "Thanks Natsu! But… what do I give you?" She asked herself loudly, as she thought about it for a moment. "I know!" She yelled, snapping her fingers. She got up on her toes, and kissed Natsu's cheek, the boy's eyes widening in surprise. "There you go! Happy anniversary!"

Natsu didn't even have time to react, as the door suddenly opened, causing everyone to direct their attention to the panting raven haired boy behind it. Gray entered, carrying something wrapped in a paper bag. He set the thing on the table, and smiled at everyone. "I got you guys this." He said, looking towards Natsu and Lucy. "There's some for everyone!" He shouted, opening the bag. The paper made a crumbling sound, as Gray unwrapped it, to reveal some sort of small chocolate cakes. And he was right, there was enough for everyone. He had spent all of his money on these, and he didn't regret it one bit. And Erza was right, it did feel good.

As everyone took some from the cakes, they squealed in delight. They would pick this over the orphanage's stews and dry bread _any day. _Erza was the first one to try it, and she fell in love with it. "What's this called?" She asked Gray.

"Erza meet cake. Cake, meet Erza." He said, dramatically. Erza just laughed, munching on the brown piece of heaven "Thank you for introducing me to Cake, Gray." She smiled.

Erza came from a poor family that was killed because they owed money to some people. Erza was speared, and brought to this orphanage, so she never had the chance to actually try something like this. It was her first time eating a 'cake', what Gray had called it, and she was loving it! If only she could afford to eat this all the time… that would've been the life.

But knowing that he had spent his money on this, just to make Lucy and Natsu happy, was enough for her.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! People are actually reading this!<strong>

**Just so you know, I'm planning on making this a short story, so 10 chapters is the max. I still haven't figured out how much I'm going to write though... oh, and I have 4 exams next week :( wish me luck!**

**~With Keys, Through Flames! Aye!~**


	4. Chapter 4: Years continue to pass

**Years continue to pass**

_~4~_

Meeting you has been a blessing,  
>Staying with you, is a dream I keep on chasing.<br>Laughing with you is something I will always adore.  
>Is it wrong, to ask for more?<br>I know you don't feel the way I do,  
>But this is me,<br>And that is you.

* * *

><p>Another year had passed, Lucy was now 7, and Natsu 8 years old.<p>

"Lucy, Natsu, breakfast!" One of the workers yelled out to the kids, who were currently sleeping. Lucy heard her, so she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and turned to the other side of the room, only to find Natsu's bed empty. She wondered where the little boy could be, as she scanned the room with her drowsy eyes. Catching no sign on the boy whatsoever, she sighed, and got ready to get out of bed. But, as she tried getting up, she noticed something tugging on her waist, not letting her go. She got scared immediately, and yelled, "Help! There is a monster on my bed!" She tried wiggling out of the demon's clutches, but she only got herself deeper and deeper under the cover, from where the monster was pulling her.

The door suddenly burst open, but she couldn't see who t was, because she was pulled under the covers.

But then, someone pulled of the blankets, and Lucy was relieved when she saw Erza and Gray. "Help! This monster won't let me go!" She yelled, but none of them replied. They just stood frozen on the spot, unable to close their mouths, which dropped open in surprise. "Lucy…" Erza was the first to recover, "T-That's just…"

"Natsu?" Gray yelled, startling the poor blonde.

The little girl turned around, to see that it indeed was Natsu. He was sleeping next to her, holding her waist for dear life. She shrieked once more, the boy finally waking up. He let go of Lucy to rub his eyes, not caring about the three kids that watched him in awe.

"N-Natsu.." Again, Erza was the first to speak, "What are you doing in Lucy's bed?"

"Sleeping." He replied.

"_Obviously._" Gray rolled his eyes. "Why aren't you in your bed?" Lucy asked, as the male shrugged. "I dunno. What if someone comes in the middle of the night? It'll be easier to protect you if I'm close to you." He said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Lucy blushed redder than Erza's hair, and mumbled a little 'thanks'.

"Well, I for one, think that you should rest in your own bed. You got that!?" Erza snarled at the sleepy boy, him nodding fiercely in return, afraid of Erza's punishments. "Y-Yes ma'am!"

"Now, let's go eat, I'm starving!" The raven haired male cried out in excitement, as they raced down the stairs.

One of the employees ordered the kids to sit at the table, and the others were now bringing in the food. Today's breakfast were some sandwiches with only lettuce and tomatoes in them. Yes, the food here was poor and not very good, but as long as they got to eat, none were complaining. Lucy had just started chewing her second bite, when Natsu was already finished with his sandwich. They knew that they couldn't ask for seconds, because the orphanage was a charity organization, and they couldn't afford something like that. So, Lucy glanced at Natsu's direction, the still hungry male devouring her sandwich with his eyes. She pitied him. They all knew that Gray and him had a healthy appetite, but they couldn't do anything about it. That's why Lucy had started saving her food.

In the middle of snack time, or lunch, she would leave the room, with her share of the food, nobody knowing what she planned on doing with it. She kept it hidden in her little bag, the same one she got from her aunt. Once Lucy had stacked away her food, she would come back to the lunch area, saying she ate it while she was walking around the house. Erza was getting suspicious, but she never said a thing to the young blonde.

Lucy was now debating whether she should give Natsu the food, or keep it for when she's hungry. Lucy really wanted to keep it for later, but looking at Natsu, while he was eye-raping the sandwich was not a nice sight to see. She sighed loudly, as she extended her arm towards the young boy. He just looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm not hungry. But you look like you could use this." She said, but they both know that wasn't true. Natsu shook his head, "Not this time Luce." He said sternly, before getting up to leave the room.

* * *

><p>That night, Lucy was feeling awful. She had eaten the sandwich by herself, and her best friend was starving. She shifted into her bed, not knowing what to do. She twisted and turned, not able to find a comfortable spot. Why was she feeling so bad? She didn't do anything wrong!<p>

"Luce?" Little Natsu asked, still trying to wake up. It was 12 o'clock, and they usually fell asleep at 10. He was wondering why his best friend wasn't sleeping yet. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "It's just…" Lucy started, but wasn't able to find the right words. How would she explain this to Natsu? "I… well… Are you hungry?" She blurted out, him not understanding why she was asking him something like that out of the blue. "Uh… maybe a little, why?"

"Well, this morning…"

"Lucy stop." He cut her off. "I can't always eat all your food!" The boy protested, earning a sad look from the blonde. He was still oh so very young, but he could still understand that if he ate all of her share, she won't have anything for herself. "Yes, but…" "But?" he echoed, "But I have something to show you!" She yelled, still not so sure that showing him her secret stash would be a good idea. "Hm? What?" Natsu was surprised. He watched the little blonde get up from her bed, he little feet slowly moving so that she was now standing in front of his bed.

She kneeled down, and pulled her little bag from under his bed. He eyed her suspiciously, before asking "Why do you keep your bag under _my _bed?"

"Well, you know how the girls that work here always tell us to clean under our beds?" She asked, earning a nod from the boy. "But, you never clean under your bed, so I thought that this is the only place where you wouldn't look. You always open my drawers, look under my bed, and check in my closet to see if I'm hiding anything. But, you never check there."

He blinked once. Twice. This girl was smart!

"So… what's in the bag?" He asked, his eyes raking up and down the small object. "Food." She replied. "FOOD!?" He yelled, as the sound echoed in the orphanage. "Shh! Be quiet!"

"Food?" Natsu whispered, as she face-palmed. "Yes." Lucy said, while opening the bag, to show her secret to him. His eyes got this weird glow, as he examined all the fruit, sandwiches, and even some candy bars, from that rare occasion, when some good person from the town had donated them. Natsu's mouth watered, as he stared at the goods, not moving an inch. "H-how?" He finally spoke, his voice trailing off. "Well…" She scratched the back of her head, "I don't eat a lot, so I tend to store my food for when I'm hungry. Sometimes, when I remember momma in the middle of the night, or wake up from a bad dream, I like to eat something." Lucy confessed.

"W-Wow.." Natsu was speechless. "Let's eat!" He yelled, Lucy shushing him once more. "No!"

"Why not?"

"Well… okay. Under two conditions."

"Spill."

"One: we can only eat _some _of it. Not all." The first condition was reasonable.

"Okay."

"And two: We share it with Gray and Erza." Share?

"WHAT!? Why share it with the idiot and the bossy girl?"

"Natsu, sharing is caring, and after all, they're my friends, just like you are." Lucy huffed.

"Yeah, but I'm your best friend." Natsu replied, crossing his arms. It seemed like neither of them was going to give in, when Natsu sighed, and ran out of the room to call their friends and have an eating party. He was stupid, but he wasn't stupid enough to let a chance like this slip through his fingers.

Lucy was impressed beyond belief when she saw the three kids standing in front of her. She never expected that Natsu would wake Erza and Gray up, without them protesting or screaming. "How did you get them to come?" She asked, pointing to the two kids, who were staring at her wide eyed.

"He told us you fell out of the window." Erza said, relaxing.

"He told _me _you got your head stuck in a toilet." Gray exhaled loudly.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to lie, Natsu. Sorry guys. It's just that I have some spare food and…"

"Food?" Gray asked loudly, earning a slap from Erza, "Not so loud, dimwit!" She snapped. "What's this all about, Lucy?"

"Well…" The blonde squirmed in place.

"The girl wants to share food. FOOD. Does this have to be about something? Just say 'thanks' and eat~!" Natsu yelled. Erza and Gray sweat-dropped, as they watched the happy boy.

Little Lucy took out two oranges, three small apples, a slice of bread, a piece of somewhat molding cheese, and a few sweets. The kids' eyes widened as she pulled out those things, them still not being able to understand how she had been saving for so long, without eating everything. "Lucy…" Gray started, but was unable to finish.

"This is all for now guys. I'm saving the rest for later."

"_The rest?_" Gray asked, amazed.

"You have no idea." Natsu laughed at his expression, before Lucy put her bag back under Natsu's bed. "If any of you guys are ever hungry again, you can have some. You don't have to ask me about it." She smiled sweetly, Natsu wondering how on Earth could she be so awesome. "Thanks Luce, you're the best!" He said, hugging said blonde.

"I agree." Erza finally spoke. "I almost never eat all of the food they give me. Now, I can bring my leftovers here as well. We'll have a lot more food than we do now." She said, nodding to herself. "Yay!" Lucy yelled, "Soon, this bag will be too small to fit all the food we'll get! Now, let's eat!"

The whole gang of best friends laughed before replying "Aye sir!"

* * *

><p><strong>So, this was a short chapter. Thanks to everyone who's reading, and don't forget to leave a review!<strong>

**Yay!**

**~With Keys, through Flames! Aye!~**


	5. Chapter 5: A peek in the future

**A peek in the future**

~5~

_When did it begin? I don't remember.  
>Maybe it was yesterday, this March, last December?<br>When will I tell you?  
>I don't know. Maybe never.<br>But my love for you,  
>will burn until forever.<em>

* * *

><p>Lucy was 10 and Natsu was 11, when he first decided that he wants to have a walk in the city. But, the workers in the orphanage hadn't allowed him, of course, but he hadn't given up just yet.<p>

It was one in the morning, way past everyone's bed time, and he still hadn't fallen asleep. He was cuddled up in his bed, thinking of escaping, just to look around town a little while, and then, he'd come back. He had made up his mind. He would go out.

He slipped out of bed, and put on the shoes he got from the orphanage. He didn't need to wear a jacket, since he almost never got cold, and he had the scarf Lucy gave him. Come to think of it, he never really took the scarf off. The workers and Lucy had told him that it needed to be washed, or that it was too hot for a scarf, but he didn't really care. Natsu loved that scarf to the moon and back, and didn't plan on taking it off anytime soon. Once he was ready, he opened the door quietly. But then, he stopped in mid-walking, and turned around to take a look at his cute little best friend, sleeping peacefully on her bed.

He couldn't just leave her here now, could he? He slowly walked up to the blonde, staring at her intensely. He didn't want to wake her up, but he didn't want to leave her here alone like that either. He let out a deep sigh, before kneeling down in front of her bed. "Luce, hey."

She stirred, but didn't reply. It looked like she was sound asleep, and didn't plan on waking up any time soon. Natsu was nervous. How was he supposed to wake up the girl!? Maybe she needed a loud noise to wake her up. That would be no problem for Natsu. He loved making loud noises! But, that would wake up everyone else, too. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. So, instead, he decided on shaking her awake. That seemed like the best idea at the time.

"Luce!" He whispered, as his little hands shook the little blonde back and forth. "Hey, Luce!" he whispered again, trying to be as quiet as possible. But the blonde was still sleeping. He had no other choice but to squeeze her nose shut, until she wakes up to catch a breath. And that's what he did. And, since the blonde was sleeping with her mouth shut, she immediately woke up, one she detected the loss of air.

"Natsu!" She yelled, scolding him. "That's not very polite! You should think about what you're doing! I'm going to tell Erza on you! You scared me!" But Natsu didn't need a lecture at the moment. "Shh Luce!" He quited her down, in hopes of telling her his genius plan.

"It's way past our bed time! You should go to sleep! We're way too little to be staying up this late!" Lucy continued. "But Luce, I wanted to go outside!"

Lucy stopped for a moment. He wanted to go outside? Why would he want to do something like that? Well sure, she wanted to pay the town a visit too, see how it's changed in the past two years, but she obeyed the rules which strictly forbid anyone from leaving. But then again, she remembered that Erza and Gray had both left before, when they got out to buy things. Well, they probably got permission from one of the girls looking out from them. Lucy and Natsu didn't have any sort of permission whatsoever!

"No, Natsu. This is not good! We really shouldn't do this." Lucy tried to persuade him into thinking that this was the right choice, but she was helpless in the situation. He had been set in his ways, and there was nothing she could say that would change his mind on the subject. And Lucy thought that the only thing she could do was go with him, because let's face it, leaving Natsu alone was a bad idea, especially out in town in the middle of the night.

"Fine." She gave in, Natsu's smile growing in size. "Yes! I knew I could count on you!"

"But, we should be back in an hour, I don't want the others to find out we're gone." Lucy reasoned, and Natsu accepted. They had no sense of time, so they had no idea how much an hour was, but eh, at least they were going to go outside.

* * *

><p>And, just as Natsu had said, the town at night was amazing. The lights on every house were turned on, and the streets looked warm and inviting. There was nobody to yell at them for leaving the orphanage, and nobody to tell them what to do. They ran around, happy to have this sort of freedom.<p>

Natsu enjoyed this expedition very much, as he explored the people's cute little houses, or ran across the bridge above the sparkly river. He walked by closed shops, and looked at the items on display, his eyes widening at every little thing he saw that peeked his interest, and he showed various objects to Lucy, and they both laughed.

At first, Lucy had thought that the streets were too dark, and the town was too quiet, but Natsu had soon shown her that everything could be light and loud as long as she wanted it to be. The dim lighting of the street lamps was illuminating the town just enough so she could see everything, and Natsu's constant yelling filled the quietness of the town. So far, everything was just perfect for them.

And Magnolia was known as the safest town in the county, because the police force there was extraordinary, and nobody even _dared _to commit a crime. It was Gray's dream of becoming a police officer, and he was going to make it happen someday.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled out to the boy who was currently picking flowers he had found growing next to the river. "It's time to go now! I'm sleepy, and I don't want to make the others worry!" She called out to him, as she got up from the bench she was sitting on, and dusted off her sleeping gown. Yes, she hadn't bothered to put on some clothes, because no one could see her at night, and she didn't care if Natsu saw her that way.

"Jeez, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Natsu protested, but he still listened to her, and got up. He walked up to the sleepy girl, and shoved the flowers in her face. Little Lucy didn't know why he was giving them to her. "I heard that when you go out in town, you buy something. But the shops were closed, and I don't have any money, so…"

Lucy's eyes brightened up at Natsu's cute blushing face, as he tried to hide it by turning the other way. She giggled softly at his kindness and ideas, before smelling the freshly picked flowers, and smiling. This was a very nice thing to do, and she was so happy he'd remembered something like that. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>They were back in a flash, both of them completely unharmed, and feeling more refreshed than ever. Lucy didn't have any trouble falling asleep that night, and neither did Natsu, because the playing had tired him out. Lucy was out cold before he even got to put on his pajamas, and he chuckled at her silly behavior. She really was cute.<p>

* * *

><p>"Lucy? You got flowers?" Gray asked her next morning, as they were all in her and Natsu's room, playing a game of cards. "Oh, yes." She replied, not sure how she should explain where she got them from. She didn't leave her room this morning, and the flowers looked too fresh to have been picked yesterday in the afternoon, which was the only time they were allowed to go to the garden. And they didn't even have those kinds of flowers in the garden.<p>

Natsu stiffened, as he also started feeling a bit nervous about the flowers. Maybe he wasn't supposed to give them to her! Or maybe she shouldn't have put them in a glass on the nightstand for all to see!

Gray and Erza both noticed something was up, but they both decided to drop the subject, let it slide just this once, and not ask any more questions about this subject. Natsu and Lucy silently thanked them, as they both exhaled in relief.

They had good friends.

* * *

><p>The following day, the flowers had already almost wilted, and Lucy was feeling bad. She didn't want to throw them out, they were a gift from Natsu, after all! He almost never gave her gifts, and when he did, it was probably a spider he had found under his bed. So, what was she to do? Almost all of the flowers had wilted, except for one!<p>

She hurried downstairs, only to find that they were having a new visitor today.

"Cana!" The little girl yelled, jumping into the brunette's arms. "You came back to see us!"

"Sure I did!" Cana laughed along with the others, happy to see all of her old friends doing well.

"I need your help on something! It's very important to me!" Lucy yelled, pulling the girl along with her to her room, telling specifically Natsu to stay out. "Look!" She said, pointing to the almost wilted flower lying on her bed. "I want to keep it forever, but I don't know how. It's already not as pretty as it used to be!" Lucy cried out in worry, hoping that Cana could find some way to fix it.

"Hmm, well, you can't stop the wilting." She said, but her voice still harboring a bit of hope. "Oh, I know!" She suddenly yelled, turning to Lucy. "Do you have a book?"

"Sure I do. Levy gave me one when it was my last birthday." Lucy smiled, pulling out the thick book she got from Levy. "It's very big, and I don't know how to read very good, so I keep it in my drawer."

"That's perfect!" Cana yelled, "If we take this flower, and put it between the pages of this book, it will never lose its beauty! It will stay like this forever!"

"But, won't it be squished like a pancake?" Lucy asked in worry.

"No, it's okay. It'll stop wilting, and it will be pretty forever! You'll get to keep it like this!" Cana assured her, "It's okay! You can save the flower Natsu gave you."

Lucy stopped in her tracks. "How did you know Natsu gave it to me?" She asked, a tint of red covering her small cheeks.

"Well, if you want to save it so much, it must be from him, right?" She winked, "And plus, daddy just bought me these new cards, so I can see the future!" Cana yelled excitedly, making Lucy's eyes sparkle with glee.

"Let's go downstairs, so you can tell us our future!" She yelled excitedly, pulling a confused Cana along with her.

* * *

><p>"Eh!? Future!?" Natsu asked, as soon as Lucy told them the idea.<p>

They were all sitting in the living room, enjoying their board games, when Lucy had barged in with Cana, shouting something about telling them their future. They were all confused, but Cana had explained the secret about the cards her father gave her.

"What a bunch of baloney." Gray shouted, waving his hand, "There's no way that's true!"

"Will you shut up for once!? I want my future told!" Erza had surprisingly yelled, as they all made a circle around Cana, and watched her spread out the cards on the floor, ready to tell them their future.

"Okay, first one is… Levy." She smiled at the little blue-haired girl. "Hmm, the cards say that you'll find something interesting when you go out into the garden tomorrow."

"Ooh goodie!" Levy cheered.

"Now, Gray." Cana spoke, Gray rolling his eyes.

"I don't believe in this. It's just a load of baloney." He said, shaking his head.

"But the cards say that you'll love tonight's dinner. It's something you've never tried before."

"Yeah, yeah." Gray waved her off, rolling his eyes.

"And Erza, this card says that you'll win at your battle with Gray tomorrow."

"I don't need cards to tell me that. I already know I'll win." Erza said, the others silently agreeing.

"Natsu," Cana looked at the cards, "You'll meet someone very special when you're 17."

"17?! But that's going to take forever! Plus, I already met Lucy. She's special." He protested, but Cana slung her shoulders.

"And Lucy," She started, Lucy getting overemotional. "Um," Cana paused for a moment, looking at the cards like there was some sort of problem. "Uh," She checked the cards again, and again, and her eyes only showed worry, and angst.

"Cana?" Little Lucy asked, unable to notice the girl's nervousness.

"U-um you'll like tonight's dinner too! Uh, yeah! That's right! Ha ha!" Cana awkwardly coughed, before picking up her cards.

"Two people got the same thing? I told you this was fake!" Gray yelled. "Fake~!"

"It's okay." Lucy smiled, still not understanding why Cana had reacted the way she did.

But Erza and Natsu noticed that something was off. Natsu pushed the thought away though, he didn't mind much. However, Erza was very worried, and decided to ask Cana what she really saw in the cards, and after much persuading, Cana gave in.

"The day Natsu meets his special person, Lucy's happiness starts disappearing from my card. It looks like something bad is going to happen to her." Cana had said, which made Erza worry even more. But she wouldn't say a thing. She'd just wait and see it all play out before she acted. Her friend was very important to her, and she would not let anything stand in the way of her happiness.

* * *

><p>"Ooh, this is pretty tasty!" Gray cried out, after he tried the yellow mushy stuff that was slaughtered on his plate. "I guess that future card thingy really works! This is delicious!" he yelled, after stuffing his face with some more of the food.<p>

"It's great!" Lucy yelled along with him, shoving some of the creamy substance in her mouth. But somehow, even after she ate the whole thing, she couldn't help but think that the mashed potatoes weren't her real prediction.

* * *

><p><strong>I finished "Keep Quiet"...<strong>

**MY LIFE HAS LOST IT'S MEANING. **

**Okay, let's not overreact. I still have a few more stories going in my mind. So please, vote for which story you'd like to see first on my profile! THANKS A FUDGING LOT. **

**~With Keys, Through Flames! Aye!~**


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